Danseco backs McTavish appeal

The World Boxing Council (WBC) judge of the year 2012 is a Filipino and Rey Danseco of Calauag, Quezon, admits he wouldn’t have received the prestigious award if not for the inspiration from Angeles City resident Bruce McTavish.

“I call him Dad because I look up to him although I don’t say this to him personally,” writes Danseco in an e-mail from California. “Every time I work a world boxing championship fight outside of our country, I think of Bruce. It seems like if he’s on my mind, recalling what he has done as a referee and judge, there’s a sense or a feeling that ‘I’m fine’ and ‘I’ll come up with the best decision.’ And I believe, I get it done because at the end of each fight, I always receive a positive comment from the supervisor regarding my scorecard.”

Danseco, 40, has now worked over 20 world title bouts. He says whatever honor he earns is for the country, not himself. “It’s an honor that I hope our countrymen recognize,” he says. “I thank the WBC for its faith, trust and confidence in a Filipino judge to be a part of big fights. I’m so happy to share with my countrymen the appointments I get from the WBC. For my work in two fights that I judged in 2011 and 2012, USA Today and the Associated Press described me as ‘among the best in the world.’”

The two fights that Danseco refers to are Julio Chavez, Jr.’s seventh round stoppage of Andy Lee in El Paso in June 2012 and Bernard Hopkins’ win over Jean Pascal via a unanimous 12-round decision in Montreal in May 2011. Danseco scored it 58-56, the same as the US’ Jesse Reyes and the UK’s John Keane, at the end of six rounds in Chavez’ WBC middleweight championship victory. In Hopkins’ WBC/IBO lightheavyweight title win, Danseco had it 116-112 while Thailand’s Anek Hongtongkam saw it 115-114 and Italy’s Guido Cavelleri 115-113.

Last April 20, Danseco was assigned to the Saul Alvarez-Austin Trout bout for the WBC/WBA lightmiddleweight titles in San Antonio. The Filipino scored it 115-112 while South Africa’s Stanley Christoudoulou had it 118-109 and the US’ Oren Shellenberger 116-111. Danseco’s margin seemed to reflect what actually happened in the ring. A week later, Danseco was in Buenos Aires to work the WBC middleweight title fight between Sergio Martinez and Martin Murray. Danseco saw it 115-112 for Martinez as did Venezuela’s Nicolas Hidalgo and Mexico’s Alejandro Rochin.

Danseco, a three-time Philippine judge of the year, says McTavish’s application for naturalization should be given priority by the Senate. Principal author Rep. Carmelo Lazatin of Pampanga filed House Bill No. 1445 recommending McTavish’s naturalization three years ago but approval has stalled in the Senate. Like Danseco, McTavish has brought honor to the country not only through boxing as a referee and judge but also as a socio-civic leader for his philanthropic activities.

“Bruce deserves to be naturalized,” says Danseco. “He’s an asset to our country. He’s my inspiration. I admire him and love him like how I loved my father who has passed away.”

Not too many know that McTavish, a New Zealand native, was a star athlete in his younger years. “I held the national record of 19 feet and six inches in 1956 in the long jump,” says McTavish. “I also coached and captained the top basketball team in high school to win the title. I was on provincial Auckland teams that won the national championship thrice in a row and was the leading scorer in two. I was coached by John Wooden when I was 12 in the Auckland YMCA then at 18 by Stu Inman. I was even offered a basketball scholarship at Mormon College in Hawaii. My basketball teammates included Roy Williams who won the decathlon gold medal at the Empire Games in Jamaica in 1966, two-time Olympic rower Murray Watkinson and Olympic long and triple jumper Dave Norris. I also did amateur boxing and my record was 31-2. Both losses, I reversed in rematches then went back to university. I was probably the youngest to play rugby for the Barbarians, a selection of international players from around the world. I wound up with torn cartilage in both knees, two dislocated shoulders, both ankles broken, five cracked ribs, veins stripped in the right leg, three broken noses and 48 stitches in the back of my head.”

McTavish has been the WBC chairman of referees for 11 years, lecturing in seminars in Dubai, Zambia, Siberia, Moscow, North Korea, Croatia, Austria and many others. He was a high school teacher in New Zealand, Australia and England, the first non-Filipino district deputy of the Knights of Columbus under Fr. Paciano Aniceto now Archbishop of San Fernando and the first non-Filipino Cursilista president of St. James. McTavish introduced the pilot anti-polio vaccine as president of the Mabalacat Rotary Club in 1985 and also donated the first X-ray machine to the Mabalacat Hospital. He opened a streetchildren’s home in Angeles City in 2003 and has raised over $300,000 from the US to sustain the project for over 100 kids.

“I have lived in my country, the Philippines, for 46 years,” he says. “I’m married to Carmen Tayag, daughter of Renato (Katoks) Tayag, with two beautiful daughters Jean McTavish Mandap and Michele McTavish and three grandchildren, Aisha, Matteo and Tua born on my birthday. My favorite basketball player and friend – Robert Jaworski – wore No. 7 and so did I from club to state to international level, I’ve lived here since 1967 and I got married to my love on the 7 th. Now that I’m 72, I hope I don’t wait until I’m 77 for my naturalization.”